Storage battery seal



' Suche degree as Patented ct. 26, 1954 N UNITED s-rArrE-s- OFFI C E:

2,692,907 y STORAGE l BZYLIIIERY SEAL' Curtis ro.V Wallace, rhilaaelpiiiaa., assigner, to.. 'llhe4 Electric Storage .Battery VCompany,` a corr porationrof ew Jersey ApplicationgDecemherl, 195,2, SerialNo-BZSJGI' i structure betweenthecoverand Walls of a contaner in` which the plates of the `battery-are en-` closed.,

The customary method of manufacturing av battery is 4.toprovide for each cell van. assembly of plates and separators withinca compartment of a jar, the number of cells dependingkupon the desired voltage rating of the battery. In .manyA commercial batteries the plate andseparator `assemblies are suported from posts `which are mef chanically carried `by the cover, the peripheryof 15 thejcover resting upon` a ledge formed about the verticalwallsof thejar. In other batteriesthe covers abut the jar walls `andthe weight ofthe plate assembly is supported von plate rests or. vertical ribs extending .across vthe bottom of each; y

cell. Regardlessof the particular construction,

a iiuid-tight seal must be providedloetween` the cover andthe walls of each cell. Conventionally, this seal has been-made by pouring into a trough. or sealing groove about the periphery .of :the vcov-g U25 ers asubstantial amount of hot sealing compound whichhas the property of forming .afluid-.tight connection between the cover. and4 the` cell walls. Howevenbecause of theuidity ofthe hot sealing` compound, there is a tendency for 4the compound. `30v torun-down through anycrevices .between the covers and the walls into-the cel1,.tothe:detri ment thereof. In addition there are occasions when the temperature of the batterymayriselto to soften the sealing .compound 35 sufficiently for flow .intothe battery ,to the ,detri-.I ment thereof and, insomecasesVeven destroying the Aseal between `'the Icover and; thesidewalls,4 therebyy permitting the egress .of acidtand corrosive vapor.

In accordance with thepresent inventiomthere is avoided ,both the loss of sealing compound and run downs thereof either `during assembly of the battery or in sulcrsequent` use-notwithstanding high temperatures Ito which thebatterylmayor- 45 dinarily be subjected.

In carrying out the inventioniin one.-forrn,there` placed onto and thoroughly covering the open-V ing or dividing` line between the-covei2andcthe.`

walls ofthe battery" casingwafmaterialwhich;- i

while being` applied thereto,l is ini-atplastic state., This material may beany onefof, 'azgroupfwhose` hardening temperature is below, the pour'tem` perature.- of` the asphalticl sealing: compoundi,l Such material must also be nonsoluble.-inthe.=

"into the sealing trough storagev battery electrolyte, be. possessed y of sub-` stantially nil i owacharacteristics, and` contain; a

minimumof; water and other-volatiles. The ma-y terial in the-.plastictstate is` extruded onto and completely overV Athe dividing line betweenA the f cover. and thewallsofthe compartment thereby forming adam overthe dividing yline or crevice which eiectively `prevents .the 4run-down of seal-el ingcompoundst. subsequently poured .into the sealing groove.: Upon application of the hot sealingcompound the heat thereof `is utilized to hard-- en Ytheplastic material. Throughout. the lifevof the battery .there lremains` any eiective and impenetrable ydam `.provided to` prevent run-downs i of` sealingcompound intothe battery and to preclude.l the possible emission of corrosive vapors` therefromir Forfurther objects andadvantages of thein-V ventionv andi-,for examples `of suitable plastic com- Lpounds, reference may be hadA to the following description take1f1.,inconJunctionrwith the accompanying drawings, in which Fig.- l is a perspective view of one cell of a battery with-the wall portion-cut laway to show one step in the process;

Fig.. 2.isk an enlarged fractional sectional View of the plasticmaterial after, extrusion, onto Vthe dividingfline between the `cover and side wall;

Fig.3.is a perspectiveview of an additionl of asphaltic sealing. compound into the sealing groove; and

Fig; 4 is an enlarged fractional sectional view showing `the sealing groove aftercompletion of the sealing operations.

Referring nowto reference numerals designate like parts throughout A'the-several views, a cell- Iof a storagebattery is illustratedywith someof the parts omitted for` clarity.A Therejs accurately depicted a typical `coverII 4which may'have a. downwardly disposed angular sectiony I2 f about the periphery thereof.4 terminatingfin'an Voutwardly extended ilanged `portion I3` por.tion|2 provides together with an adjacent sidewall I4 .ofA the cell a, trough or sealing groove I 5 for thereception of a quantity of `sealing compound to prevent egress from the battery of acidflange@ Ita' of the.v coverk audities-inner surface.V

of .wall:rlllrtherefmaybe,l dueto molding tolerances,` af certain amount of `clearance space `which maya in: somednstances be .143 or even larger,`

andwhichwmay lbe referred `to as a Vparting line n or opening: If hot-sealing compound is poured` I5, it will be understoodA the drawings, whe-rein like` The downwardly extending.

that some of it may leak through the parting line or space. This leakage is undesirable both from the standpoint of loss of compound and degradation of the battery. In the past it has been necessary to provide packing in the opening to prevent leakage, but the methods used increasedthe costof manufacture and the resultant packing and seal have not been entirely satisfactory during subsequent 'battery usage.

In accordance with the present invention, a plastic material lf3 such as a vinyl plastisol, i. e., a dispersion of vinyl resin in a plasticizer, which is possessed of excellent ow characteristics under elevated pressures but whose flow characteristics may be considered substantially nil when pressures are removed is preferably used as a damming material. The term vinyl resin" is deemed to refer to those thermoplastic synthetic resins having the structure CH2=CH- and any products resulting from a polymerization or copolymerization thereof. The material IS may be extruded by any suitable means, such as indicated by an extruding head il, into the trough i5 and over the groove or parting line between the cover and the side wall of the cell lll. The extruding means may preferably have an extruding head similar' to those of conventional caulking guns in-which the guiding end comprises a small cylinder I8, an end of which may be brought into close proximity with the crevice or parting line, thus to insure the proper bridging of the crevice or parting line with a minimum of material. Because of the fow characteristic of the preferred .material l5 there will be no rundown of the material into the battery cell to the detriment thereof. After the plastic material is extruded into and over the parting line, hot sealing compoundv le is poured from any convenient dispenser such as a ladle 2c into the sealing trough l5. IThe temperature of the hot asphaltic sealing compound ld is of the order of S75-425 F., higher than the hardening temperature of the selected material i6. For example, vinyl plastisol has a hardening temperature of 30G-350 F., usually 325 F.

r'he trough lil holds an adequate quantity of the hot compound to raise the temperature of the plastic material l@ to or above its hardening temperature. However, it will be understood that itis not necessary that the entire mass of plastic material it be hardened and that it sufficient if only the surface of the material shall be hardened adequately to form a semi-rigid support between the cover li and the walls it. Thus, in the assembly of storage batteries it is only necessary to follow the steps outlined above, and the sealing compound i9 as shown in Fig. 3 will provide heat necessary to harden the material i8. During subsequent use of the battery and regardless of the temperature up to about 325 F. to which the sealing compound i9 and the material iii are subjected, the opening or parting` line between the cover' and the case will at all times be sealed and there will be avoided any loss of sealing compound into the interior of the battery or an escape of acid or corrosive vapor therefrom.

While a typical example oi a heat hardenable material has been given, it is to be understood others may be utilized it only being necessary that such material be inert to and insoluble in the electrolyte, possess nil flow characteristics under ordinary pressure, contain a minimum of volatiles, and harden with the application of heat. i

The plastic material in order to possess proper characteristics of flow may include additives, for example, fillers such as talc, barium sulphate and colloidal silica, and plasticizers such as dioctyl phthalate and dibutyl phthalate. Of course, other fillers and plasticizers may be used and they will be selected in view of the plastic materials used. 'There may be several suitable fillers and plasticizers for a single selected plastic material. The plasticizer need be present only in an amount sufficient to provide for proper flow characteristics of the plastic compound during extrusion thereof over a crevice or parting line since flow of the material is undesirable once it has been extruded. An example of a satisfactory composition includes equal parts by weight of vinyl chloride, talc and dioctyl phthalate.

Obviously, many modications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined. by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l.. rThe method of sealing a storage battery y which comprises applying at the juncture of the cover 4and the Walls of a battery container a heat hardenable material, and applying hot sealing compound to raise the temperature of the heat hardenable material to a point not lower than that required to harden it in situ.

2. rEhe method of sealing a storage battery which comprises applying at the juncture of the cover and the Walls of a battery container a heat hardenable compound comprising a plastic, a plasticizer and a filler, .and applying hot sealing compound to raise the temperature of the extruded compound to a point not lower than that required to harden it in situ.

3. The method of sealing a storage battery which comprises extruding at the juncture of the cover and the walls of a battery container a plastisol, and applying hot sealing compound to raise the temperature of the extruded plas-l tisol to a point not lower than that required' to harden it in situ.

e. The method of providing a seal between the cover and side walls of a storage battery which comprises applying a heat hardenable material over the juncture of said cover and Walls to `form a dam completely covering said juncture,

and hardening said material in situ by applying hot sealing compound thereto.

5. The method of sealing a storage battery which comprises extruding at the juncture of the cover and the wall of a battery container a plastisol comprising a vinyl resin, a ller selected from the group consisting of talc, barium sulphate and colloidal silica, and a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of dioctyl phthalate and dibutyl phthalate, and applying hot sealing compound to raise the temperature of the extruded plastisol to a point not lower than the hardening temperature thereof.

6. A battery including a cover and walls forming cells thereof characterized by a dam between the cover and adjacent walls comprising a heat hardenable thermoplastic material `applied by extrusion and hardened in situ, and a layer of sealing compound over-laying said dam.

i 7. A battery including a cover and walls forming cells thereof characterized by a dam between the cover and adjacent walls comprising a vinyl plastisol applied by extrusion and hardened in situ, and a layer of sealing compound overlaying said dam. c

8. A battery having at least one cell provided with a cover, said battery being characterized by a dam comprising a vinyl resin, a plasticizer, and a ller over the juncture of said cover and walls, and a layer of sealing compound poured over said dam for hardening said dam in situ and effecting a seal between the cover and Walls of said battery to prevent the escape of corrosive materials from the confines thereof.

9. A battery including walls forming cells thereof and a cover, said cover provided with an angularly depending portion terminating in a flange which cooperates with the walls of said casing to form a trough, a dam consisting of a vinyl resin, a plasticizer, and a filler in said trough and over the juncture of said cover and walls, and a layer of asphaltic sealing compound filling the remainder of said trough and applied thereto in a molten state whereby said dam is hardened to provide between said cover and walls a rigid seal eiective under all conditions of operation of said battery.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,127,936 Snyder Feb. 9, 1915 1,508,847 Gillette Sept. 16, 1924 2,388,042 Daily Oct. 30, 1945 2,603,671 Burns et a1 July 15, 1952 

